Salary Negotiation

The Company Needs You

Screening candidates, running interviews, syncing five engineers' calendars — that costs companies money.

They didn't get this far by accident. You beat out a stack of other resumes. Rescinding an offer over a reasonable counter almost never happens — it's rarer than a clean git merge on a Friday.

💡 An offer isn't a gift they can yank back if you ask for more. It's a business decision they already made. Asking doesn't unmake it.

Rule One: Don't Say a Number First

Whoever names a number first, loses leverage.

The company knows their budget range. You don't. The second you say "can you do 90 instead of 85," you've told them your ceiling is somewhere near 90 — congrats, that's exactly what you're getting, if that.

Same goes for your current salary. If they push, give a full picture (base + bonus + equity), and frame it as "I'm looking for a real step up from here" — not as your anchor for the next number.

Keep the Door Open

Recruiters love asking "so, what do you think?" right after the offer. It feels casual. It's not. It's a trap designed to lock you into a position before you're ready.

Don't answer with a number. Don't answer with a yes. Answer with enthusiasm plus a stall:

Show Off 💪

"This sounds like a great fit and I'm excited the interest is mutual. I'm still finishing up conversations with a couple of other companies, so I can't commit to specifics yet — but I'm confident we'll land on something that works for both sides."

That single paragraph does three things: stays warm, protects your leverage, and quietly signals you have options — without lying if you don't yet.

Leverage Is the Only Real Currency

One offer is a data point. Two or three offers at the same time is a bidding.

Big companies move slow, so start those interviews early. Startups move fast, so start those later. The goal is everything landing in the same two-week window.

💡 The moment you have one offer, tell every other company you're talking to. Not to be dramatic — to create urgency. "I've received an offer and my timeline just got shorter" is the fastest way to get a stalled process moving again.

Money Isn't the Only Lever

If base salary won't budge, that doesn't mean the conversation is over. Ask about:

• Level. Getting hired one level higher is usually easier than getting promoted a year in — and it drags the salary band up with it.
• Signing bonus — often has more flex than base pay.
• Equity, relocation support, extra vacation days.

Exploding Offers Are a Bluff, Not a Deadline

If a company gives you 48 hours to decide — that's not urgency, that's pressure. A real, well-run process can survive you asking for a week.

Call it out directly: tell them the timeline doesn't work, that a decision this size deserves real time, and ask for an extension. Most companies fold immediately. The ones that don't were probably going to be a nightmare to work for anyway.

Stay Positive. Always.

Here's the part everyone forgets mid-negotiation: your enthusiasm is part of what they're buying. If you go cold or start nitpicking during the back-and-forth, they start wondering if you'll actually be motivated once you're hired.

Negotiation isn't a fight to "win." It's just making sure the deal reflects your actual value. Be polite, be direct, be genuinely excited about the parts you're excited about — and don't be afraid to also loop in "I need to discuss this with my partner/family" to buy yourself breathing room without looking difficult.